Olympic gold medallist Greg Searle believes Great Britain's rowers have what it takes to be the country's chief medal-winners in Beijing.

UK Sport yesterday announced a target of 35 medals from 17 different disciplines in China - and they expect rowing to contribute four podium places.

Katherine Grainger's women's quad crew and the men's coxless four represent Britain's best chances but Searle - who won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics - is confident the current generation can take the sport to new heights.

"We have four really good shots at getting gold and if all of them were to get a medal, we would hit our goal," said Searle, speaking today while competing at the Henley Royal Regatta.

"The team should have high expectations - they are all very good athletes - and we have stepped up to the competition and raised our game.

"Getting five or six would be awesome and I feel we can do that - there is always an outside chance because we have some great rowers. I don't see any reason why rowing can't contribute more British medals than any other Olympic sport.

"I would like to see medals from all the categories - the coxless four should be looking for gold again, despite the big-name retirements - I think the women's quad could produce a gold medal and the lightweight men as well.

"But then there is the women's double, the men's double and the men's single, who have all got a shot and you can't rule them out."

With Britain's Beijing-bound rowers absent from Henley, it was up to Searle and brother Jonny to roll back the years and lead the home charge in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup.

However, any thoughts the duo had of success were quickly scuppered in the first round, when their Molesey and University of London boat lost to Leander and Henley by nearly two lengths.

Elsewhere, in the same event, the Leander and London crew - who were racing in the GB Lightweight boat which won World Cup bronze in Poland - saw off The Tideway Scullers' School with ease.

South African duo Shaun Keeling and Ramon di Clemente underlined their Olympic potential in the Silver Goblets, an event Sir Steve Redgrave and Matt Pinsent once dominated here, thumping Army Rowing Club duo Alex MacPherson and Sam Cooper.

Glasgow University took home the Scottish bragging rights in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup, cruising into the semi-finals with victory over Edinburgh University.

And defending Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup champions Shrewsbury School took another step closer to back-to-back titles, beating Westminster School by two-and-three-quarter lengths.

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